[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 131 (Friday, September 11, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H5946]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
14TH ANNIVERSARY OF SEPTEMBER 11
(Ms. PELOSI asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute.)
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, this morning, at 8:46, across America there
was a moment of silence and remembrance that, on the morning of
September 11, 2001, the world witnessed a horrific attack against our
Nation.
The profound, unfathomable casualties shattered our sense of safety.
Yet, out of the ashes of the fallen World Trade Center towers, the
crushed concrete of the Pentagon, and the burning fields of
Pennsylvania, Americans rose united. We comforted strangers. We
strengthened community. Hope prevailed over hatred. Resilience defeated
fear.
Americans will never forget where we were on that day. We must always
remember what happened that day.
President Lincoln once cautioned of the silent artillery of time
wearing away at our memories. He was referencing those who had lost
their lives in the Civil War.
We pray that the years might ease the pain of the bereaved and that
it would be a comfort to them that we will never forget.
Young people born after 9/11 are coming of age in a world that knows
that no attack will ever destroy America's ideals of liberty, freedom,
and equality of opportunity for all people. Terrorism will never
triumph over justice. That is a goal of terrorists: to instill terror,
instill fear. They have failed.
We have emerged even more committed to protecting the liberties that
have long distinguished our Nation from regimes that rely on
divisiveness and hatred.
We honor the thousands of people we lost that day and those we lost
to 9/11-related illnesses in the years that followed. We must remember
those heroes of 9/11. In remembering them, we must honor our
commitments to them, whether it is access to health care for those who
were affected by 9/11.
The selfless first responders--firefighters, police officers, and
courageous citizens who helped save lives, searched for survivors, and
jeopardized their own safety to rescue others--represent the very best
of humanity.
May we forever remember the spirit of September 11, 2001, and strive
to build a future based on the hope and unity that emerged from the
ashes that day. And may we always remember that, on this day, as we
discuss this issue, we are walking on sacred ground. May we treat it
with dignity and respect.
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